Persepolis Analysis Essay

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi is a memoir in graphic narrative form, and its organization, portrayal of different things such as narrative voice, and drawings all come together to form the narrative structure. These different areas give the reader the ability to perceive the memoir in a variety of different ways, through the use of the passage of time, and style in which different areas such as historical context are emphasized. In addition, the manner in which the memoir is structured into panels works to paint the whole picture. The organization and structure of the memoir Persepolis diverts from the norm of memoir structure through the use of panels with illustrations, and the first person point of view that is evident over the course
The narrative voice is predominantly told through Marjane and it fills the reader with extra details that little Marji alone cannot express. As the memoir progresses, the portrayal of the narrative voice exhibits a bravery and rebelliousness of sorts. Countless times over the course of the memoir, Marjane is depicted as someone who just wants to have fun, and live her own life. This tension between these joys and desires of childhood, and limits to Iranian society make the relationship of the narrative voice so meaningful. A great example of the rebellious nature of Marjane comes during school when she is caught wearing jewelry, which is strictly forbidden. Marjane engages in a tense battle with her teacher; “‘What are you doing with that bracelet? Give it to me right now!’ ‘Over my dead body! It was a gift from my mom’” (143). In the heated exchange, Marjane embodies a fiery confidence. She even goes to the extent of hitting her teacher in the intense struggle over her bracelet. The confrontation illustrates choices that many Americans, with complete freedom take for granted. In addition, these moments also impact Marjane and her transition from childhood to adulthood. This transition is marked by the passage of time that takes place as the memoir progresses, represented physically and emotionally. A great example of the first large metamorphosis of Marjane comes from chapter 24, titled The Vegetable. It is in this chapter that the panel animation of Marjane drastically changes, representing all the changes she undergoes physically, and mentally with the values she now holds, resulting from her assimilation into Western culture. The changing of Marjane’s values as she grows, accordingly parallels her personal perspective and how it evolves with different experiences. In the beginning of the memoir, Marjane has such a close